Common Sense Media Review
A violent but unvarnished portrayal of the war in Vietnam.
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Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 17 kid reviews
Kids say this book provides a gripping and realistic portrayal of the Vietnam War, capturing the violent transformation of boys into soldiers and the harsh realities they face. While the graphic content and strong language may be off-putting to some, many readers appreciate the depth it adds to the characters and the thought-provoking nature of the story.
- graphic content
- realistic portrayal
- thought-provoking
- strong language
- powerful message
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Richie, an 18-year-old African-American kid from Harlem, joins the army and is sent to Vietnam in 1967. There, he bonds with the other soldiers in his small squad and watches as some of them die. Richie wonders if he'll live through the year as he participates in the growing violence of the war.
Is It Any Good?
Reading FALLEN ANGELS can be an intense experience, one that even reluctant readers may appreciate. This highly realistic depiction of young soldiers fighting the ground war in Vietnam was one of the first books to illuminate that war for young people. Today's adolescents, who were born after the Vietnam War, may not know much about it -- but that's OK because this book focuses on the experiences of the soldiers, not on the history of the war. Myers has the ability to make readers care about his characters and see them as real human beings. Ultimately, this is a vivid and unvarnished portrayal of the war in Vietnam.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Vietnam War. Did you know anything about the Vietnam War before you read this book? Why is it important to read about events that happened before you were even born?
Richie sees that African-American soldiers are often put in the most dangerous situations. Do you think that is still true today? Why are so many of our soldiers fighting in today's wars from minority backgrounds? Is that fair?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Inc.
- Publication date : January 1, 1988
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 14
- Number of pages : 309
- Award : Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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